Bernard Jackman says Cardiff Blues won’t rate his Dragons and should score four times as many points as them in next Friday’s Welsh derby.

The Irish coach insists the Blues have to be viewed as hot favourites for the Arms Park clash, even though his own team have a better record this season.

He bases that judgement on their superior budget and the far greater number of caps they have within their squad.

Dragons head coach Bernard Jackman (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

It will be Jackman’s first Welsh derby and he is clearly getting into the spirit of things, piling the psychological pressure on the beleaguered Blues, who have lost four of their first five PRO14 matches and are in a degree of limbo on the coaching front with Danny Wilson leaving at the end of the season.